Monday-itis...

It's Monday, and I have been struggling with Monday-Itis...

you know, a  Sunday hangover..?

well Yesterday was such a huge day... it may not be huge in comparison to other churches, but we don't compare ourselves to other churches,  we just compare ourselves with ourselves... you know, how we have been going lately and in relation to the same time last year etc.

so yesterday , there was 90 in our morning service and a further 50 in our afternoon youth church service.
that's not bad for us, in  the middle of winter in Melbourne.

We had around 45 people respond to the Lord Jesus after the message in the morning service and that was awesome to just see hand after hand being raised in relation to the prayer call.

I always get tired out after a day like that, but its what I live for.

I live to see people respond in faith to Jesus Christ

Yesterdays message can be heard at :

www.salvos3064.podbean.com

and we would encourage you to take a listen.

its all about being an extraordinary Christ follower, with extraordinary faith.

I hope one day to be called an Extraordinary Officer...

I am not interested in being ordinary.

and all I want for my life is to please my Lord and Saviour.

At times I struggle, and don't measure up to my own expectations, but one thing I can say, I am a plodder, I will keep plodding along and trying my best and striving towards what I believe God sees as extraordinary.

Yep I have Monday-itis...

but its OK,

for Sundays are my most favoiurite day and theres another one coming in just a few short days.

woohoo

I am believing....

I'm believing....

believing that God hasn't finished with the Salvation Army.
believing that what we see God do in other churches, that He will do in ours also
believing that we will rise up and be the Army of Salvation...and thousands will be added to the kingdom     as a result
believing that you don't need to go some place else to see God, you can see Him and feel Him and experience Him right here in our Salvo Corps
believing that our very best days are still ahead of us.
believing that God has a place for me in this Army
believing that God Called me IN...and IN is where I am staying.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is about to pour out amazing power in the Salvation Army in Australia, and frankly, I just want to be positioned and ready to be used by Him at that moment when He chooses to go "whammo" amongst us. 

bring it on Lord Jesus.

I put this as my status today,on Facebook.... here's why..

I am sad that many of the Salvos I know, and love, seem to be searching for God in places other than the Salvation Army.

I have heard that  many are on a kind of pilgrimage journey, seeking out the manifestations of God in other churches, and it saddens me that we are not praying it (HIM) into our Corps , right where God has placed us, raised us, positioned us.

I actually believe in my calling.

that God called me into the Army to make a difference, to shake  and challenge the "status quo" and usher in change, as directed and moved by His Spirit. 

I believe God raised TSA and that He hasn't finished with us just yet.

I also choose to believe, that He desires to do in us, through us, and around us, more than we ask Him to do.

 so why go seeking elsewhere, when He is right here ? 

NOW... don't get me wrong, I don't think for a minute there is anything wrong with learning from and sharing fellowship with other believers and churches, and learning what we can from each other. 

But don't short change TSA in the process, God has placed YOU Here to help shake and change TSA and make it into all He desires it to be , and simply, you cant change it from the outside, you have to be on the inside to change things.

This is not new, do you remember the old musical..." WE want a Take over Bid " ? 

What TSA needs, is  fired up, Holy Spirit annointed and filled, Passionate Soldiers and Officers who will pray and pray and pray....and seek God and allow His Spirit to be poured out amidst us.

to allow our God to do what He wills for us, HIS way, in HIS timing, using us (yep..YOU and ME) as vessels.

will we see gold dust in the sky ? or smell His aroma ? or Feel His presence move about us ? will we see Him heal the sick and save the lost ?

YES. we will .

we already have.... just read your history books.

do You think God cant do this kind of stuff in an Army Corps ? in 2012 ?

well, the real question is not about Gods ability to produce miracles, but rather your ability to believe and live out your faith.

some may take offence at ths blog...  sorry about that if you do.

I just pray and wish a few more soldiers and friends and Officers in TSA would actually start living out and being who God raised us to be in TSA instead of looking at the grass in some other paddock and think it might be better grazing some place else.

we were never meant to be grazers.... we were birthed and raised to be fighting soldiers.

are there any Soldiers/ Officers left who are  -

Passionate

Sold Out on Jesus

Fired up 

Raving fans for Jesus in TSA ?

we don't need to go elsewhere, we just need to pray it in here, and watch God do amazing things amongst us, within us, around us and through us.

Send the fire again Lord, to TSA in Australia Southern, that our hearts might burn with a holy discontent and passion to see You glorified in every corps in our country. And filled to the max with people seeking Jesus.

• Revive us Lord.

• Renew us.

• REV us up...

• Revitalize us

• we need YOU. 

 

               and friends, for those leaving, or thinking of leaving...           ( if we still are friends)

stop leaving and start changing things right where you are placed, by praying until something happens, right where you are positioned right now, 

by the Lord Himself. 

Beating your Goliaths...

Based on the message from today's sermon at S3064 church, is the content of this post. And my latest blog..

When David met Goliath in that battle zone all those years ago, its not just a story relegated to history, in my opinion.

There are some fundamental principles we can learn from and apply to our lives. 

I like how Joyce Meyer puts it, when she said that we need to not look at how big and gruesome is Goliath, but rather remind him of how greater our God is.

Whatever your Goliath issues are in life today, you need to face them with the knowledge and confidence that God is greater still than any Goliath in your life.

David took a small smooth stone and placed it into his slingshot...and shot it at the giant...

We can understand that the small smooth stone for us, is our prayers... we place them in our slingshot of faith, and shoot them up at our giant issues, problems , difficulties and blockages and watch our Goliath fall.

I believe that the historical accounts of the men and women of God,  as recorded in the bible, can teach us modern day people of God, how we can  face up to giants, our issues, our problems.

Goliath was causing huge concerns for the Israelites in those days, and today our modern day Goliath - giant- problems also cause us huge concerns and grief...

But it doesnt mean we have to remain defeated...stay put down.

We can rise above it, and instead of the Goliath taunting us and pushing us backwards, we can, like David, take our prayers and place them into play and see the Goliath fall.

Chop its head off and regain a position of victory.

Victory is there for the taking for every Christ follower in 2012...

Perhaps the reaosn why many Christians remain defeated and down, is that they don't stand in faith, armed with faith and prayer.


just a thought ...


so the next time a Goliath sized problem taunts you....

Grab a smooth stone of prayer, and with the mustard sized faith you have, let the Goliath have it ..right between the eyes.


and in case you have forgotten.....

when you hold onto Gods hand in the battle, it is impossible to be defeated.

you are a giant yourself...you are not a grasshopper.

If God is for you, 
then what or who......                 
can stand against you ?

Learned Lessons...

I am learning new things every day it seems.


here's some of what I have learned this week...

• it doesn't matter how hard you try, you just cant please everybody.

• stuff will happen, whats important is how you handle, respond to the stuff.

• when you least expect it, Satan will try and trip you up.

• Loraine plays cello !!!???

.............................................................................

there are some great books out there,  reading one at the moment:
(the truth about leadership) here's what I have learned ... 

• the top  3 characteristics of an Admired leader:

1.Honesty

2.Visionary

3.Inspiring

• if you don't believe in the messenger then you wont believe the message.

My framework values for leading and living are : my top 5.

1. Honesty

2. Work Hard and Work Smart

3. Jesus is coming

4. Teamwork

5. Everything depends upon leadership.

• Psalm 139

 I am fearfully and wonderfully made

                       and finally my lessons of the 2 rabbits:

I was on a day retreat and alone and became aware of these 2 little guys out in the yard....
I watched them, play in the grass and chew away at it for almost the entire day.
2 fluffy bunny rabbits with white cotton tails. They didn't seem to have a care in the world.
but I noticed in their behavior 6 characteristics which I think we can all learn from.

1.they ate a lot.
2.constantly stopping and watching, probably for their predators and own safety.
3.they stuck together.
4.they just were,.................... hopping, eating, watching... doing and being.
5.they were very cute, and at times just blended with their surroundings
6.life was unrushed, unforced, simple, uncomplicated.


I got to thinking, our lives, (well maybe only my life.... ) at times is over complicated, complex and stressful. we need to learn to slow it down at times, keep watchful for the attempts of our predators, eat a lot...spiritual food, stay safe from our enemy, be alert and watchful, stick together, just be and do what we are supposed to be and do, blend in and assimilate into our surroundings so we can influence it, ............and keep it simple.


and my other things which I already knew, but was reminded of...

• Jesus is faithful and always forgives and loves and cares for me. (you too)

• Life goes on, 
• Ministry does also, the future is still unclear, 

• but God holds my future. 

He is already there.

Do you ever get Angry ?

Anger... a bad thing, ? 

maybe,

but maybe also a good thing ... ???

I am a bit angry right now... I feel like I have been served up some stuff that I don't deserve, been shortchanged, shafted .  (I am not the only one to feel it at the moment)

Injustice makes me angry.

other things make me angry and I realise that they shouldn't,
but sometimes I feel just and right (like now) that my anger is rightfully placed.

sometimes people around you just don't get it , do they ?

they say they are on your side, but really they are not. They are secretly shafting you,  and everything you have worked so hard to build, is up for grabs.

Well in some cases the writing is definitely on the wall................

and time will tell....   

friends...            

 "time always tells".

here's the deal.... 

I have done everything I can to set up some pretty neat concepts for the future.

I am pretty sure, no one else has ever done that before.

Some have accepted it, and others have simply shelved it under the too hard basket and filed it, ignoring it, hoping it might just go away.

Isn't that what we all do at times ?

but the thing that makes me angry with righteous anger, (which I feel I cannot express in any way shape or form and in any other forum than perhaps here, which may prove also to be a dangerous place to share it)

...whew......

is the fact that there appears to be forces at work against us, where there shouldn't be,                         where it should be for us, it feels like its not.

instead of support,  it's criticism.
instead of  working for you, its working against you.
instead of recognizing that we are on the same team, its like we are enemies.

??????

what is with  all that ?

its not the way of the Kingdom that's for sure,
and that should make all Christian leaders stop and look and listen.

my anger will subside, it always does, and I am sorry for being so cryptic,  but  that's just how it needs to be right now.

I am just fed up with seeing really good, Godly people being shafted, abused, ridiculed, criticized, and walked all over, by others, who should know better..

and before you try and put 1 and 1 together and get 2... ?

you will be so wrong - so don't bother...

on a positive note: here's what I also believe about this anger thing...

if it is managed and rightfully placed, it can change the world.

some things in this world need to be changed,and challenged and it needs rightoeus indignation to do so.

our enemy is reeking  havoc on this world, he has pulled out all the stops against TSA, and what else should we expect... ?

we have made our stand  on a few hot potato issues...
we went into his camp and prayed for people to be saved and they were...

he's angry.... and we should be angry at him........
for what he has done to humanity, in selling the lie that so many in and out side of the church have bought.

it isn't going to get any easier  I don't think.... probably only harder......

but if something inside us doesnt rise up and fight, we will by default be fought and we will lose.

its sad when you  sense you are being shafted, but the Word says we should rejoice amid our sufferings and hardships, and even though thats easier to read than to practice, nevertheless it's true.


God called me.

I said Yes.

I haven't changed my mind.

I signed a Covenant.

and I haven't changed my mind about that either.

the war is fierce, but I believe, we have already won this war.

so I am standing firm, with my resolve rock solid,
I am just going to keep doing what He asked me to do,

.......even if some don't like it.

I am Gary Grant, I am unique, the bible says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, it says that all my days were written in His book  and that God has ordained for me, my every step.

I am a unique individual, I don't see myself as better or worse than others, I am just trying to be who He has called me to be.

To do the work I was called to do, I needed to be different to the norm...  that has set me up to be misunderstood and criticized, I never dreamed that would happen, but it has, ...............so be it.

I am 52 years of age, I have less hair today than I did 20 years ago, but here's some thing else, I have more passion for the Bride of Christ and my God, than I did 20 years ago.

I have failed, and fallen, and repented, and confessed, and been restored, 

I have walked a fine line to see things happen  that maybe wouldn't have normally happened if  I had played it safe.

I will always be out there, because I am not satisfied with the status quo...

I will always be at odds with the worldly and the institutional ways and will most likely always get angry, because I hold values in my life which I firmly believe are just and right, maybe even old fashioned...    values like common courtesy, love and respect, forgiveness and  fairness.  (heaps of others as well)

I don't agree that we should just maintain a system, for the sake of maintenance and tradition, if it doesn't work anymore, you should chuck it out and find the thing that does work, and be a world changer.

I value our past, but want to embrace the future. 

I don't expect that everyone will agree with me.                      that's just life.

I am resolved to do and be who God wants me to be, rather than what  humanity may want of me.

I will die one day, and I will bow before My King and my only desire in this life is to hear Him say to me......  

Gary Grant....!?! 

well done,  good and faithful servant.    You did good.